Sony Ericsson, the world's 4th biggest handset maker, has reported a titanic sales decrease of almost 50% in just a few months. This is a bad thing, you see.

Reuters slapped a scary headline on this story, but it couldn't really be described as sensational. As much a terrifying portent of electronics companies' coming year as it is an indicator of the company's especially sorry state, this announcement is particularly gruesome when you consider that, unlike Palm, they don't even have an escape plan in place, or even a substantive smartphone line—one of the few areas that is expected to grow over the coming months. [Reuters]